News

San Jose: Man shot dead near county fairgrounds; 46th homicide of 2012

By Robert Salonga and Eric Kurhi

Staff writers

Posted:
12/31/2012 10:40:46 AM PST

Updated:
12/31/2012 06:27:12 PM PST

Members of the San Jose Police Department investigate a shooting scene at an apartment complex on Lewis Rd. near the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. One man was shot dead marking the city's 46th homicide of the year. (Gary Reyes/Staff)
(
Gary Reyes
)

SAN JOSE -- A man was shot dead Monday morning in the gated parking garage of a large apartment complex, becoming the city's 46th homicide and adding to what was already a 20-year record for killings.

Police were called about 9:25 a.m. to the 200 block of Lewis Road, two blocks south of the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, for a report of a man with a gun. Officers arrived to find a man with at least one gunshot wound. Emergency crews who tried to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

While police did not release details about suspects or a motive, Lt. Tim Kuchac told reporters that they "do have a couple of parties that we believe were involved detained, (and) the gun was recovered."

Members of the San Jose Police Department investigate a shooting scene at an apartment complex on Lewis Rd. near the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. One man was shot dead marking the city's 46th homicide of the year. (Gary Reyes/Staff)
(
Gary Reyes
)

A 15-year-old boy who lives in an apartment above the garage said he was awakened by the sound of men arguing, followed by a single gunshot, then a scream. He said the three-story Summer Breeze Apartments is a normally quiet complex.

Late Monday afternoon, a cleaning crew was washing stains from the floor of the garage, a few feet inside an automatic security gate.